Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

National Forum

Most Popular Posts in the last 24hrs

Click on the subject to bring you to the county where the message was originally posted 
(this page is sorted with the most popular posts at the top)


Zuckerberg Donates €150,000 To Three GAA Clubs Near Waterford Castle - 2 Like(s)

Replying To WanPintWin:  "Would these 3 clubs be big campaigners against Meta, otherwise? Is that the role of GAA clubs? To complain about the carry on of large US tech companies.
How are the clubs bending the knee? Are there some principles they're having to sacrifice as a result of getting this money?
They happen to be local to a castle bought by one of the richest men in the world. Apart from that, I'm not sure what you think they have to do now.
The money should come in handy. It's hard to find any wallet willing to open itself for the needs of GAA clubs."
Doesn't need to be those clubs specifically, look how many from all over the country in the GAA fraternity will now start fawning over this. Arra sure isn't that mighty of him, not a bad chap. It has softening up on a local and national scale. What is it about a segment of Irish society that just loves someone that has mega wealth regardless of what cost to the rest of society that wealth has been created? And when they give us the slightest wink or attention we go weak at the knees. These companies have to be brought kicking and screaming to put in safe guards to protect society as a whole but particularly children. They have been fined a number of times and resist regulations for online safety and transparency. But yet here is the head of company donating money to local clubs, a large segment of the clubs are children. Then factor in that the regulator of digital services in Europe lies with Ireland. It's without doubt a publicity stunt and a soft power tactic. You can imagine now if Meta or Zuckerberg ever were to get into hot water with said regulator there will be a seed of doubt in some GAA members heads as to whether the apple cart should be upset. It'll be interesting to see if more goodies are given out in the coming years. I'd sooner take money off Carrolls or Benson and Hedges, at least they don't pretend anymore that they don't cause damage to people.

FullOfPorter (National) - 30/09/2026 17:18:01

Monaghan GAA thread - 2 Like(s)

Replying To farneygael3:  "You're missing the point. It's not the manager, it's what tactical geniuses he can bring with him. As you say, no expense spared. It's a no brainer."
It is a no brainer - he shouldn't get the role. No matter who Banty brings is as coach, he is such an alpha figure that he will make the tactical calls, decide on the substitutions and pick the team. And that is where he has fallen down in the past. His boom and bust motivational style can work as a once off but is not sustainable.

sleater (National) - 01/10/2026 11:49:00

Galway Football thread - 1 Like(s)

Replying To ColmFlaherty:  "I'm keeping track of who gets in the GBay TOTWs and most of them have definitely been featured more than once."
Wouldnt worry about that as a metric to be honest.

Galway Bay always have their favourites, some lads get on that team by just togging out.

Ollie Turner and Johnny Higgins have a soft spot for the same individuals.

GalwaysFinest (National) - 30/09/2026 16:11:43

Sunday Game - 1 Like(s)

Replying To GreenandRed:  "
Replying To WanPintWin:  "[quote=GreenandRed:  "[quote=WanPintWin:  "[quote=Seniorleague:  "[quote=Commodore:  "I read somewhere (forget where tbh) that 30% of babies born in Ireland today have parents who were born outside the country and our liberal immigration policy means that number will only increase as the years go by.
Unless the GAA ,an organisation that leans heavily on tradition for recruitment, can somehow generate more interest among new demographs football nd hurling could very conceivably become minority sports within a generation or two.

Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 344 - 28/09/2026 19:10:25 2


I would be skeptical of that 30% figure, sounds very high, but regardless of where their parents were born, they will be exposed to GAA at primary school and at summer Cul camps etc. I actually think the GAA does a great job at underage, participation is very high at underage level."
Depends where you are in the country i suppose. I live in the east side of galway city and id imagine its at least 30%,probably more tbh,,whereas in other parts of the county and country it might be less.

Im totally unaware of stats re underage participation but from what ive seen underage soccer and rugby teams,boxing clubs etc here are considerably more multi racial than our local gaa clubs Liam Mellows and St James."
A much higher proportion of children of foreign born parents are in urban areas, where GAA wouldn't be as strong. GAA participation in Galway city is much lower than in rural areas. Apart from Salthill/Knocknacarra who are more suburban, the only other senior club in town is St. James and they were in the relegation play-offs this year. Michael's are in intermediate and Griffin's/Éire Óg in Junior.
Regardless of foreign born parents or not, Galway City is a bit of a wasteland for GAA, relative to its population. There's much greater availability of other sports there too. Foreign born parents will naturally gravitate to more familiar sports for their children."]Are you a foreign born parent?"]My other half is."]So is mine! Philippina. We've two girls playing LGFA. The eldest,16, only started during COVID. Apologies and happy to be wrong, but you sound a bit defeated on getting foreign parents interested in GAA if there's other sports available to them that they might be more familar with. Takes a bit of work and customer care skills from the clubs for defininite."]Not really where I'm from. I live rurally, and there isn't any issue out here getting kids of foreign parents involved in GAA clubs. The fact that the club and community are so interwined rurally helps greatly.
I do think it's a greater issue in the city. There's less of a community base around the GAA there, and also many sports clubs which would be more familiar to foreign parents. Participation rates in GAA are much lower there to start with, so it can be even more difficult to get others involved.

WanPintWin (National) - 30/09/2026 16:39:44

Galway Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Fitzmaurice confirmed this evening, three year term with backroom team to be finalised in the coming weeks. About as good an appointment as you could have hoped for really, experienced manager and all Ireland winner who was directly involved in the FRCs rule making thought process.

LárBáire (National) - 30/09/2026 20:35:00

Galway Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Some appointment. Great players at his disposal just hope he's not stuck in the old rules like Joyce

Farneyarmy2013 (National) - 30/09/2026 21:40:17

Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
No one can objectively say Banty performed better than O'Rourke. Banty for a third term, no thanks. I appreciate the time and effort he has put in for Monaghan teams, 13 years when you take into minor and U21/U20 and happy for him he got an ulster championship at minor level - and even at that you could say he underperformed with that minor group because at U16 level they were arguably the best team in Ireland.

Banty has consistently at county level been found lacking tactically and his chest thumping motivational style only works as the exception. Over the course of a competition, he's always found out. There has been some deserved criticism of previous U20 management teams e.g.. Paul Curran in 2022. Don't forget Banty was U20 manager in his second stint at U20 during 2019 and 2020, - record was 2 games, 2 first round exits.

A third term for Banty is very unappealing. Yeah, he'll get the buy in from players in terms of commitment and by all means, no expense is spared from what I've heard and players are well looked after. But what matters most is on the pitch and he's always been behind the curve tactically. Banty has always been a follower, rather than a tactical innovator, no matter who he has in as coach. Ultimately he makes the final decision.

sleater (National) - 01/10/2026 10:27:00

Looking Towards Football 2027 - 1 Like(s)

Replying To Farneyarmy2013:  "There's only 5 contenders for 2027 the rest are pretenders.

Kerry
Armagh
Galway
Donegal
Tyrone

Mayo won't do it again. Louth Dublin Roscommon Cork Monaghan Derry Meath all a long way off winning Sam"
How you have Galway as a contender and not Mayo is strange. Our last two years have ended with poor defeats at the quarter-final stage. The teams who beat us lost their next match, in Meath's case by a cricket score. That's not the form of contenders.
If a lot goes right, could we go further? I think we could, but there's a lot to be done.
Dublin were incredibly unlucky not to make the final this year. They outplayed Kerry in the semi-final and some very odd decisions and wastefulness cost them. Looking at most metrics in that game, the team with Dublin's stats would normally have won with a bit to spare.
How the draw pans out, availability and fitness of key players, along with a heap of other variables will have a bearing on how teams do.

WanPintWin (National) - 01/10/2026 12:18:41